Schwaetz



No. 6|s,o2|. Patented om. 25, :89s.

Y. SCHWARTZ. y

FLASH LIGHT COMPOSITION.

(APPlc 8.

n led Mar. 26, 189

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YORK SCHWARTZ, F HANOVER, GERMANY.

FLASH-LIGHT coMPosl-rloN.

SPECIFICATION forming part O'f- Letters Patent No. 613,021, dated October 25, 18.98.

Afpnanon mea nach 26, 189e. semi Nu. 585.011. No @einem j To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YORK SCHWARTZ, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor,

' and a resident of Hanover, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented vcertain new and useful improvements in the means for suddenly lighting objects, especially'zs'uch as are to be photographed, of which the following is an exact specification.

Objects to be photographed are,as is known,

oftentimes lighted-fi. e., suddenly-or lightning-like lighted by aid of an easily-inflammable and quickly-combustible mixture that contains magnesium, aluminium, oran equivalent substance. This mixture is generally employed in the form of a conical heap. .The free surface of the latter is very small in comparison to the volume of `the material, and the intensity of the light does not correspond to the quantity of that material, the more as the light produced by the inner portion of the mixture is greatly absorbed by the am'e 4resulting from th'e combustion of the outer one. To obviate this drawback, the mixture has already been used not in the form of conical heaps, but in that of long ones; but then the generation of the lightis distributed over or through a longer period of time, which again is very disadvantageous for the photographing of some kinds fof objects.

I now propose tomix the lighting material with'an easily-iniiammable and quicklycombustible cementing medium -for instance, with a solution* of pyroxylin in ether and alcohol-and to bring this mixture 'into the shape of a foil of suitable size. After the foil has become dry it may be hung up by means of a wire and then used as usual. The surface of the foil is very great in proportion to the volume ofthe latter, and there is practically no absorption of light at 'all by the flame. The material combusts with very great quickness, and the full intensity of the light is at once attained. I am therefore enabled to use less material' than has been requisite up to now to get a certain definite volume of light. Instead of mixing the lighting material' directly with a solution of the cementing mefdium I may as well mix it irst with the dry cementing medium and then add the dissolvent for thc latter to that mixture, or I may form foils of the cementing medium and in- .closealayer of the lighting material between two of said foils orprovide one-such foil on either side with a layer of said lighting material. f

As an instance of the mixture which I em-- 'ploy in the Aproduction of my improved foils I mention the following'as examples: -dry finely-powdered chiorate of potassium, six hundredgrams; dry finely-powdered magnesium, five hundred grams. ,I may, however, substitute for the chlorate of potassium in the exam-ple above 'given nitrate of potassium, so that in such a case the composition would, for instance, be: dry.ine1yp`owdered nitrate of potassium, five hundred lgrams;. -dry nely-powdered magnesium, five hunmethod reside in the facilitation of, first, the

handling of the material, and, second, the proportioning or adjusting of-theiquantity that is requisite on suicient for one act of protographingor the like.

Figure 1 shows a foil orthin plate of rectangular form, this being a convenient shape in which the flash-light mixture or flash-light foil may be supplied, though it is clear that, if desired, I may bring the mixture to a foil or plate embodying any other shape. Fig. 2 represents a square or rectangular piece out to any required size and ready for use; Fig. 3, alongitudinal strip ready for use, said piece or strip having also been cut or otherwise detached from a larger plate or foil, the size and shape of the detached pieces being proportioned either on the assumptiof that a square inch of foil would contain six grains of lighting material or the said pieces may' be proportioned according to the option or experience ou the part of the operator as to the eifect of fiashlight mixture. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are side or end views of Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

-Theplate or foils may be provided with a.

hole or holesb (shown in the drawings) for the purpose of attachment of a wire.

The size and shape of the lighting-foils may ICQ- greatly Vary and isas a matter of course, de-

- pendent on the volumeof light demanded and the purpose for which the light is required.'

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what I desire to secure by Letlo form of a foil, for the purpose as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture,the combination of-a quickly-combustible magnesium mixture, with a eementing medium, said mixture being brought into the form of a foil, for the purpose as set forth. l

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

L YORK SCHWARTZ. Witnesses GEO. F. BENSON, LoUIsA GRIMPE. 

